


Manifest Destiny

by Moonfireflight, PhoenixSavant



Category: Mystic Messenger (Video Game)
Genre: 707 crush, 707 crushes back, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Meeting, Fluff, Oral Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Vaginal Sex, accidental stalking, game to reality, hacker boy, idiots who are in love and also in denial a little bit, what if
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-03-21 19:10:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13747431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonfireflight/pseuds/Moonfireflight, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixSavant/pseuds/PhoenixSavant
Summary: You've completed Seven's route and the Secret Endings.You can't stop thinking about him.He can't stop thinking about you, either.





	1. Emergence

                You smiled to yourself as you wrapped up another route.  The last of the Secret Endings had played out on your phone.  You had successfully won the heart of 707, Saeyoung Choi, and saved he and his brother.  The route had been harder than the earlier routes.  When he shouted at you and pushed you away, you were torn between wanting to slap him or kiss him.  When he finally confessed his love for you, your eyes sparkled through the tears. 

                It was late, almost midnight.  This was the perfect time to start a new route without missing any content.  Mystic Messenger had become your schedule.  You knew when the chats would arrive and when to start a new route.  12:01 AM was the best time to start again.  Should you try for a bad end, or go for Jumin?  You chewed your lip as you thought it over.

                When the clock ticked over, you made the decision.  You’d had enough secret agent angst for a few days.  “Here we go again,” you thought, taking a breath and tapping on the Deep Story banner.  “Let’s see what trust fund has waiting,” you thought, launching the new route. 

                Once more, you played through the intro video.  Once more you tapped your way through the chats where you are lured away to a strange apartment.  Once more you found yourself in the chat where you’re made a member of the RFA.  Once more and you were safely launched.  Now you could sleep and pick up the missed chats in the morning.

***

                Across town, illuminated by the blue light of a computer monitor, a young programmer stared at his screen through the lines of code reflected on his lenses.  He watched the girl start the game over again.  She had started it from the very beginning.  That was fine.  He would have another four days to show her how much he liked her, tossing hearts out at every opportunity.  This connection was real, even if the game wasn’t.  She would be back.

***

                You dreamed deeply, lost to the world around you.  Red hair, striped eyeglasses, a robotic cat that spoke to you, and a strange apartment you did not know were recurring themes.  You chased a young man through the building, calling for him to wait for you, but he was always a step ahead.  When you reached a doorway he had passed through, he was across the space and already ducking around the next corner.  You ran, the cat telling you not to give up, and something inside you unwilling to.

                When you woke, you felt every step you’d taken in your sleep.  How could a dream leave you feeling sore and… so weirdly emotional? So much for a rejuvenating night’s sleep.  Grumbling, you rolled yourself off your bed and stumbled into the shower.  Hot water, that would wake you and soothe your muscles.  It might also shake off this strange feeling you had that someone was watching you.

                It was an odd sense.  It wasn’t like some government agent was watching you, invading your space.  It was rather like something was out there, making sure you were safe.  Someone was checking that you woke up in the morning.  In a world where you lived alone and had few friends, it was a comforting feeling, that someone might notice if you weren’t there.

                After the shower, you popped the game open, buying your way back into the chats you’d missed.  Seven, once again 707 instead of Saeyoung, was in the chat calling out a mayday.  You grinned at his playfulness, but the game had rules.  If you responded to his play, you’d end up on his route again, and that was not your goal this time.

                Opting to basically ignore him, you played through the chats on max speed.  The last route was too fresh in your mind and heart.  You couldn’t read every message and not respond to him. It felt cruel.  It was easier this way, to just skip over them and tap through the responses.  Besides, you had to get ready for work soon. 

***

                The red-head blinked in surprise.  She wasn’t even reading the messages.  When he realized she wasn’t reading his messages, he altered the script quickly, sending the message, “I’m sorry.”  She paused.  He timed it.  She took 42 seconds to respond.  Still, she didn’t respond in his favor.  It was unexpected, but not to worry.  There were four days to go.  This was just the first chat they would share alone.

***

The four days went quickly.  Jumin’s hearts were easy to gather.  All you had to do is agree with him, tell Jaehee to work, and act like Elizabeth the 3rd was the most precious being to exist.  It was a little bland, in comparison.  You wanted nothing more than to play around with Seven again.  When you felt you had gathered enough of Jumin’s lavender hearts, you let yourself grab a few from Seven.  You hoped that he’d understand.

“Wait,” you stopped yourself, speaking aloud in the emptiness of your apartment.  “He can’t understand.  He’s not real.  Ugh.” 

Real or not, the way he reacted when you responded favorably to him made your heart ache, even as you laughed.  His loneliness, especially now that you knew the entire story, pulled at your heart.  You wanted to take it away forever.  This prologue to Jumin’s route felt unfair to Seven; Saeyoung, you reminded yourself.

***

                Striped glasses spun through nimble fingers as the young man sat back in his chair.  He could not believe what he was seeing.  She was going to do it.  She was actually going on to the next route.  She wasn’t coming back.

                He watched as she picked her way through the chats.  She responded to his antics so rarely.  Had she even noticed the changes he made just to get her attention?  Her hesitance in selecting options said that she had.  Then why was she still taking the other route?

                His heart dropped.  He had been so confident that she’d be back, that she wouldn’t leave him behind.  What did Jumin have to offer anyway?  He was just a string of code that did as he was bid in response to her selections.  He wasn’t even as complex as a random number generator.  Grabbing a can of Dr. Pepper, he popped the tab, scowling at the monitor before him.

                This was just not happening.   What had he done wrong?  Where had he failed to leave enough of an impact?  She should be back on his route again.  He was certain that she knew it wasn’t just a game, not between them.  Why wasn’t she acting like she knew?

                Did she know and was just taunting him?  Was she not as clever as he thought?  Something was missing.  He drank deeply from the can of soda, turning the puzzle over in his head.  She’d be on Jumin’s route in a few hours.  There was no stopping that, but maybe there was something he could do anyway.  Was it worth the risk?  For her, probably.  He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He hadn’t planned on taking the game offline, outside, but if she wasn’t going to make that connection and understand what was real, he would have to show her or let go.

***

                Your day off began slowly.  You laid in bed, catching up on chats and finding yourself more interested in Jumin than you’d expected, now that you were securely on his route.  He shifted from brusque to considerate, even awkward.  It was endearing, and often amusing in a more subtle fashion than Seven’s humor. 

                There you were, thinking about him again.  Every day since finishing his route, you found yourself thinking of him.  Saeyoung’s face flickered through your dreams every night.  You saw someone at a stoplight with red hair and felt your heart twinge because you looked over hoping to see him.  You got honked at by the driver behind you because you were caught up in reminding yourself that he wasn’t real.

                As you dressed, you chewed your lower lip, wondering why you were doing this to yourself.  Seven, Saeyoung, Luciel, whatever name was on the screen at the time, was a character in the game.  He wasn’t real.  There was no secret agent hiding out there who was going to appear, save you from disaster and fall in love with you.  You reminded yourself that it was just the way things were.  You lived alone.  That had to be why this was happening.  You were just lonely.

                Today was not going to be a lazy day at home.  There were errands to run.  Maybe, though, if you could get enough of them done, you could be home early and not have to fight with the evening rush hour at least.  Hopefully, a busy day would distract you from your obsession with the game and the character that seemed to have taken up residence in your thoughts.

***

                He waited out of sight as she left her apartment.  The security gate was as useless as any other generic gate had ever been.  He might have to do something about that.  She couldn’t be at risk.

                His breath caught when he saw her.  He had wondered what she looked like.  The game only offered a few premade avatars for the player.  She looked surprisingly like her profile picture, but that avatar couldn’t begin to do justice to how she looked in person.

                He had planned to introduce himself.  In fact, that’s why he was hiding when she came out of the apartment.  He was working up the courage and trying to figure out how to knock on her door and say, “Hi, that game, so yeah, I’m real, uh, hi!” No matter how he phrased his introduction in his head, it just sounded worse and worse.  He watched as she walked to her car and made himself look inconspicuous as she passed by.  “Thank god for large apartment complexes where no one knows their neighbors,” he thought in relief. 

                Relief turned to panic as she pulled away.  “Shit!” he exclaimed.  That’s not how he’d planned this meeting at all. How was he going to introduce himself if she left?  He raced back to his car, his favorite, cherry red baby that he brought in hope of taking her for a drive.  He followed her out of the parking lot, maintaining distance so she couldn’t see him in the car behind her.

                “Nice, Seven, you’re a stalker now,” he muttered.  Not that it wasn’t a bit stalker-ish to already know where she lived or which car was hers, or where she worked, or…  No, enough of that.  He was trying to meet her!  That wasn’t being a stalker.  Stalkers didn’t plan to introduce themselves politely.  Or awkwardly.  He pulled out onto the road behind her, not convinced of his non-stalker status at all. 

***

You saw the red-headed man out of the corner of your eye as you left your apartment.  You very pointedly averted your eyes because you were not a freak, you reminded yourself.  Staring at every person with red hair was not going to materialize your game crush in front of you.  It might make people think your brain was damaged.  They might be right.  Considering the way this game seemed to be messing with your mind, they just might be. 

First you went by the post office, shipping off a stack of envelopes.  Then to find a new lamp for the living room you wandered to the mall. Three stores later, you finally found what you wanted.  The next stop was to get a haircut, then to get your nails done.  Not having a boyfriend wasn’t an excuse not to take care of yourself. 

The last stop was the grocery store.  As you meandered through the aisles, unsure what you wanted to get thanks to leaving the list at home, again, you couldn’t shake that feeling of being watched.  You had felt it strongly all day today.  At the post office, when you walked back through the lobby; at the mall, every time you turned around and thought you saw a black and gold jacket or a flash of red hair.  In fact, you had spent an extra half hour there, looking for him because the last time you were that certain that someone was following you and that someone had red hair.  You cursed yourself for wasting time chasing a figment of your imagination, as it guaranteed you were going to get stuck in rush hour traffic. Even when you were getting your hair and nails done, it felt like someone was lingering, just out of sight.  It was the strangest thing.

Somehow you had wandered into the junk food.  You looked at the wall of potato chips, wishing that American stores offered those stupid honey chips.  You rolled your eyes and grabbed a bag of ordinary chips.  Yeah, sure, shopping and errands would distract you.

You rolled your cart back out to your car and the feeling of being watched raised the hairs at the back of your neck.  Looking around, you saw other people leaving their cars and people bringing their groceries out.  No one seemed to be watching you especially closely. You shook your head and loaded the bags into your trunk.  It was too strange.

***

                He watched her get back into her car and pull out of the parking space.  He’d been following her all day.  Even he had to admit that stalker status was pretty self-evident at this point.  He’d tried to speak to her at the mall, but panicked and hid behind a group of women with strollers.  He’d even thought he could just say hello and offer to carry the lamp she’d bought, but hesitated and then she was leaving _again_. 

                He followed her back to her apartment.  Parking down the row from her, he watched as she loaded herself up with too many bags and shuffled to her door.  _Cute_. Glancing over, he saw his opening.  She had left the trunk sitting open.  She must have more things to bring in.

                “Alright, do this, or go home,” he grumbled to himself, taking a breath and getting out of his car.  He hurried to her open trunk and looked inside.  Three bags remained, resting against a spare tire, a jack, and to his delight, a net with oil, water and antifreeze.  She knew how to take care of a car herself.  It was like finding diamonds hidden in a gold mine.

                He grabbed the bags and closed the trunk.  He swallowed, hard, and squared his shoulders.  He walked to her door and lifted his hand to knock when she opened the door. 

***

                You froze, doorknob in hand.  There was no way.  This was not possible.  You’d cracked. That was the only possibility.  You slammed the door, gasping for air.  You didn’t move, you didn’t even flinch.  You just stood there.  You realized you were laughing suddenly and you felt like you were losing control. “The laughter of a madwoman,” you thought.   

                A soft knock on the door silenced you again.  Figments of your imagination can’t knock on a door.  Your eyes grew wide and you stared at the source of the sound.  Pressing your face against the peephole, you looked out.

                There he was, still there, just waiting.  Bags hung from one hand, his fingers ran through his unruly red hair and he looked at his feet.  His glasses were the same gold with brownish stripes.  He wore the black hoodie with the gold loops on the shoulders. 

                You leaned back, blinking, still not able to grasp that the character from the game on your phone was standing outside your door.  You pulled your phone from your pocket and checked to see that the game was still there.  It was there, letting you know that you’d missed another chat.

                There had to be a way to test this.  There had to be a way to come back to some semblance of sanity.  You stared at your phone.

***

                He waited after he knocked, but she didn’t open the door.  She stopped laughing, which might be a good sign.  This was stupid.  He had scared her.  He didn’t mean to, but he had.  Of course he had.  She thought she was playing a game and he was a piece of fiction.  The connection hadn’t been real, after all.  Still, he had her groceries.  He should at least see through giving them to her.  If she wasn’t going to open the door, he still had a way to contact her.

                He took out his phone and called her through the game.  He heard her phone ring in response.  She was just inside the door.  He grinned at that.  He looked at the peephole while he waited for her to answer.  If he’d had a free hand, he would have waved.

***

                You yelped and dropped your phone when it started to ring.  You knew that ringtone.  It was his ringtone.  You hadn’t seen anything about an incoming call from him at this time when you read the game guides!  Fumbling to get the phone back in your hand, you saw his avatar on the screen.  If you answered the call, you could confirm that he was a character in a game.  He’d ramble on some nonsense and you’d have canned responses to choose from.

                Answering the call, you lifted the phone to your ear.

                “Hey, so, I’m sorry if I scared you.  I have your groceries though, the ones that you left behind.  Should I just leave them here?” 

                You gasped and sputtered.  Spinning, you looked out the peephole again.  He was standing there with the phone to his ear.  He was smiling at you.

                “Sev, I mean, Sae, oh fuck,” you stammered.

                He laughed softly.  “Seven is alright to start with.”  He paused, waiting for you to respond.  When you didn’t, he continued.  “So, are you going to open the door?  I would really like to actually say hello, in person.  Is that okay?” 

                “But you’re not…” you fumbled.  Your mind was in overdrive.  You had officially gone over the edge.  One more resident for the looney bin.  One flew over the cuckoo’s nest, and it was you!  Would the padded cell be comfortable, or was it hard padding?

                “I am, and I can explain.  It’ll be easier if we’re not on the phone though.  Unless you just want me to go?  I’ll just leave your things here by the door.  Your trunk is closed, too, by the way.” 

                You couldn’t seem to form a response.  Your jaw hung slack and your eye strained to see more through the opening in the door.  The fishbowl effect of the tiny opening did not help to make him seem more real.  He looked strange, distorted through the fogginess of the scratched glass. 

                You wanted to let him in, but you couldn’t seem to move.  If you opened the door and he wasn’t there, you needed help, fast.  If you opened the door and he was there, you still might need help.  What were you supposed to do?  If he wasn’t there, would your heart be able to handle it?  You wanted him to be there, to be real.  You wanted to not be crazy, and not just because you didn’t want to end up in a psych ward.

                “Alright, I’ll just leave these here,” he spoke through the phone, much quieter this time.  “I’m sorry I scared you.  I really didn’t mean to.  I shouldn’t have come.” 

                He bent, vanishing from your view briefly.  You heard the thud of one of the bags settling against the door.  When he stood, he turned and started to walk away, putting his phone in his pocket, his shoulders hunched in rejection.

                Hesitation and confusion vanished as you decided to choose to risk insanity rather than let the moment pass you by.  The door flew open and you called out, “Seven!” as you raced through it to catch him.  Your feet tangled in the grocery bags and you heard the rustle a split second too late.  You went flying.

                You never hit the ground, though.  Strong arms caught you.  He grunted softly at the impact, but you were in no danger of crashing to the patio.  You looked up into golden eyes and a surprised smile.

                “I would have been fine with just walking through the door.  I didn’t mean for you to throw yourself at me,” he grinned, helping you find your feet. 

                “You… you’re… real?” 

                “Last time I checked, yes.” 

                “I’m not crazy?” you asked.

                “I didn’t say that,” he teased. 

                “But the game, you, I don’t understand.”  You felt the confusion coming back.  You gripped his arms in your fingers, just to reassure yourself that he was, in fact, a physical person.  Your knees felt weak and you leaned against the broad, solid chest before you, trying to steady yourself.

                You could smell him.  His scent was a warm combination of dark musk and something sweet you couldn’t pinpoint.  The shirt he wore was made of high quality cotton, and you could see the weave of the red cloth.  His hoodie had miniscule crumbs, possibly from chips, stuck to the fuzziness of the jersey.  You looked up at him and could even see the pores in his skin.  This wasn’t fantasy, or insanity.  He was real.  It was too much.  Your mind caved in and your vision swam into darkness.

                When you came to, you were laying on your couch, according to the familiar patterns in the spackle above you. You sat up slowly.  Had you just had another crazy dream?  You remembered coming home from the store.  You had brought in some of your groceries and then… then, oh god!  You bolted upright, fully awake.  It was then you realized, there was someone in your kitchen. 

                Saeyoung stepped into view with a glass of water and a washcloth in his hands.  He smiled gently when he saw you awake.  “Good, I hoped you wouldn’t be out much longer.” 

                “I don’t… you’re real?” 

                “You’re not going to faint again are you?” he asked you, watching you with concern. 

                “No, but, _how_?” 

                “Right, I should explain that.  In just a minute.  Here,” he held out the water and washcloth and sat beside you.  “Take these first.  You need water, and you need to keep yourself cool.” 

                You watched him in awe as you took the water and drank it.  He sat down beside you, still smiling, and looking more relaxed.  You felt the couch shift as he settled on the cushion, another reminder that this was no hallucination.

                “Better?” he asked, taking the empty glass from you.

                “Yes?”

                “Good.  So, before I explain, I’m really sorry.  I didn’t mean to scare you.  I just wanted to meet you.  I’m, well, I haven’t done that before, so I think I messed it up.”  His apology was backed by an expression full of uncertainty and self-doubt.

                “I’m not sure you scared me, so much as I was afraid I’d lost my mind.  I just don’t understand.  Wasn’t Mystic Messenger just a game?” you asked, trying to comfort him, but still wanting answers to your questions. 

                “Initially, it was, yes.  I created it.  I got bored just watching the game play though and kind of… put myself into it.  The calls in the game are usually just recorded. Sometimes I use the calls though, just to be able to hear a real voice.  When you played through, it was me on all the calls after the second day,” he admitted.

                “But wait, I had options to select for responses,” you pointed out.

                “Yep, because I wanted you to enjoy the game.”  He blushed a little.  “I thought you could tell the difference.” 

                “I had no idea.  None!  I mean, I liked you better than the others, but I had no clue!” 

                Saeyoung hid the flinch that her words brought.  She hadn’t known.  That explained everything.  The connection he felt was one sided.  This was about to get very awkward.

                “I had hoped that you might know, that maybe you’d feel…” he frowned, looking away from your eyes.

                “That I’d feel like I wanted more time with you?” you asked him, hinting at how you’d felt.  You’d been trying to talk yourself out of being interested in him for days, and failing.  Wanting time with him was the smallest piece of the truth that was becoming illuminated in your thoughts.

                “Did you?” he asked, looking back up at you. 

                You nodded.  “I still don’t understand how you’re here.  It’s not making sense yet, but yes, I did, do, want to know you more.” 

                “I’m not Seven, you know that, right?  He’s the character in the game.”  Saeyoung’s face became serious. 

                “What about the rest of the story?  Are you really a hacker, an agent?  Is there anything in the game that is real?”  You thought it best to find out quickly, before your mind took off on you again.

                “Well,” he smirked at you, reaching into his jacket.  “So there’s part of it that’s real.”  He unfolded a small, black, leather wallet.  Inside was a badge and an ID from the NSA.  “I’m a hacker for the government.  Mystic Messenger was a game I made because I got bored.  I do have a twin, he’s a violinist.  He can be as twisted as Saeran, but he’s a good guy.  Don’t tell him I said that, though.  Our parents live in Chicago, and we had a pretty normal life.  The other characters are based on people I’ve met.” 

                You took his badge from him, blinking at the fact that you were sitting here talking to an actual hacker from a government agency that may as well be the secret agency from the game.  Sometimes truth really was stranger than fiction.  You had to accept it.  There was no hidden insanity in your mind.  The name on the badge was Saeyoung Choi, the name he’d used in the game.  That was also real. 

                “I’ll need that back before I go,” he said, teasing you gently.

                “Yeah, sure, uh,” you thrust the badge at him awkwardly.  “I just don’t get it, why are you even here?” 

                “Promise not to call the cops on me?”

                “Maybe?”

                “I’d prefer not.  They get kind of rough when they grab an NSA agent.  I think there’s a grudge or something.” he explained, chuckling nervously.

                “Oh.  Can’t you just pull rank or something?” you asked, suddenly curious. 

                “Not really.  I would be considered under their jurisdiction, so they get to pull rank on me.” 

                “You’re distracting from the question.  Why are you _here_?  I mean, how many girls have played that game?  So, why are you here?” you insisted.

                “I promise I’m not crazy,” he said.

                You thought that should be your line still, but waited.

                “When you were playing my route, I thought I felt something more.  I thought there was a connection between us.  I made a lot of small changes when you were playing, and you responded to all of them.  Maybe I got carried away.  Anyway, I wanted to meet you.  Especially when I saw you start up Jumin’s route.  You’ve ignored me for days, and I just couldn’t take it.”  His shoulders sagged.  He mumbled something you couldn’t quite make out.

                “That explains why you seemed so real, at least.  It wasn’t a game I was responding to.”

                “You could tell?” his face brightened.

                “Well, no, I still assumed it was just a game.  You just felt more real than the other characters somehow.  It never occurred to me that there was a real person behind it.”  You bit your lip uncertainly. 

How much could you reveal about how you felt those 11 days with him?  You didn’t dare admit to the dreams, but could you admit that you’d wanted more?  He was here admitting the same thing.  Surely that would be safe. 

“Even though I thought you were just a character in a game, I wanted more time with you.  I just couldn’t handle going back through your route again right away.  It was kind of an emotional rollercoaster,” you offered. 

“Yeah, I suppose it isn’t the best feeling, is it?  Did the ending make up for it at least?” 

“That all depends,” you smiled.

“On?”

“Was that the ending, or is this the beginning?”

Saeyoung turned more shades of red than you’d ever seen on a single face before.  He tugged at one of the strings on his hoodie nervously.  “I’d like if it could be a beginning,” he said in a hushed voice.  “There’s just something about you...  I think it could be a very good story.” 

You rested your hand on his. A gentle warmth passed between the two of you, you couldn’t help but remember his words about feeling a connection. It didn’t matter that he was real, you were officially insane, and you knew it.  That didn’t matter either though.  “I’m curious to see what happens after the branch.” 

 

 


	2. Convergence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have a first date with the real Saeyoung.

“After the branch?” Saeyoung asked, smiling slowly. “I guess it is kind of a branch at this point.” He grinned at you. “So, did I get enough hearts to get the good ending?” 

His grin was contagious, and took over your expression swiftly. “I’m not sure. There’s usually three branches to a path, right? Day four, day 7, and day 10?” 

“You’re kidding. So is this only day four?” 

You laughed at his mock frustration. “What, did you want to spend all your hourglasses and buy out the entire route at one time?” 

Sliding quickly to a serious expression, Saeyoung replied, “Not at all. I want to enjoy every day and wait to see what happens.” 

You blushed and looked away for a moment. Those eyes were just too intense. Your own wish to find out what would come next was just as intense. Your mind was quickly catching up to accept that the red-head sitting on your couch with you was not a figment of your imagination. Your hand still rested over his, and he’d made no move to withdraw from your touch. The places where your skin touched felt like they’d been chased by lightning, prickly, warm, and full of anticipation.

“I should probably go soon, so you can take care of your groceries and stuff. I…” He suddenly looked uncertain and bit the corner of his lip. “I came over to introduce myself, but also, I hoped that you might like to go out with me sometime. On a date, I mean.” 

He hoped he didn’t look too eager, but he also didn’t want to let the opportunity pass. Especially now that he’d seen her in person. This was a girl that other men would be after. If he waited, he could lose his chance.

You tried to keep your smile demure, but you were sure you were beaming. “I would like that, yeah.”

***

It had been a long day. Even though you could call each other through the game, the two of you exchanged phone numbers and made vague plans for a date this weekend. You stared at the entry in your phone. “Saeyoung Choi.” You read the name and numbers again, memorizing them.

Neither of you were sure what to do as he was leaving for the night. You’d only just met, but you felt like you’d known him a lot longer. What the hell is the protocol for meeting your game, uh, crush, in real life? 

Saeyoung had hesitated for a moment and then darted in to kiss your cheek, blushing as he pulled away. He didn’t want to kiss your cheek, but he felt so nervous being face to face with you at last, he wasn’t willing to try for more, yet. He grinned as he saw you blushing, too.

Closing the door behind him, you leaned your back into the frame and stared into space trying to process what had just happened. The guy you thought was part of a game showed up at your door, you fainted on him in a very literal sense, and now you were going to have a date with him! What world had you fallen into? This doesn’t happen, right?

You smiled, pushing away from the wall and wandering into your kitchen. “Saeyoung Choi,” you whispered to yourself, testing the name on your tongue. Your fingers rose to where he had kissed your cheek and you felt your face grow warm again.

While getting ready for bed, you found yourself in a bit of a daze, still thinking about the strange turn your life had taken. You were just about to silence your phone for the night when it dinged to indicate you’d received a new text, and then another. 

“Thanks for giving me a chance.”  
“Maybe we’ll meet again tonight in the world of dreams! ^^”

His cute message made you blush yet again. He really had a knack for making you do that. You thought about how reply. This was much harder when you didn’t preset options to choose from. After a moment, you decided to take a little bit of a risk and tapped out a message to him.

“Dreams would be wonderful, but…  
I’m looking forward to seeing you in the real world again.”

Normally you weren’t this forward, but you couldn’t help yourself. Nervous energy percolated through you, erupting in giggles as you kicked your feet under the covers. That date had better happen. 

Saeyoung called you the afternoon following his appearance at your door. You tried, but failed, at not feeling like an excited teenager when you saw his name appear on your phone. Hoping he wouldn’t hear all of the excitement, you answered, “Hey! How’s it going?” You cringed. Why did you choose such a lame greeting? 

****

Saeyoung grinned. He could almost hear the girl on the other end of the call trying to play it cool and failing. He wondered if he could fluster her more. That might be amusing, but moreso in person. He filed the idea under, “things to test in great detail at the earliest possible convenience” and responded, “Hi! I’m good, how about you?” 

****

You exhaled in relief. Alright, he wasn’t going to say anything about it, you could do this. It’s just a phone call, right? A phone call with a guy who was imaginary less than 24 hours ago, but still, just a phone call. “Not bad. What have you been up to today?” 

“Eh, hacking the pentagon again, distributing Microsoft’s codes for Office, nothing big.” Saeyoung chuckled softly.

“Again?” you gulped. 

“Well, they pay me to, so…” 

“Oh, uh..” 

****

Saeyoung waited a moment and then laughed. “I’m kidding! I’m kidding! I am still at work, but it’s nothing so thrilling. I wanted to ask you about that date thing we talked about.” He stopped and pulled the phone away from his ear, glancing at his reflection on the screen. “Date thing? Really dude?” He shook his head and returned to the call. “I just wanted to know if you’d really like to, go out with me, I mean. Now that you’ve had time to think about it, that is.” He rolled his eyes at himself. This was not smooth. This was not half so composed as his training had taught him to be.

****

“Did you have an idea?” you asked, your excitement transmitting through the airwaves before you could stop it. “He meant it! We’re going to have a date!” 

****

“How would you feel about a hike and a picnic?” he asked, almost rushing his words. He hadn’t ever asked anyone out before. This shouldn’t be so difficult though! 

****

“Oh! I haven’t been hiking in a really long time. I used to like it though.” You paused, trying to remember the last time you’d been hiking. At least six years had passed, but you still recalled the rustling of the trees, the cool breezes, and the clean air. It was peaceful in the forest, quiet and calm. It sounded like an invitation to heaven. “Why don’t we? When did you want to go?” you asked. 

****

“Uh, well, are you busy on Saturday?” Saeyoung asked, relieved that he’d thought that far ahead before calling. 

****

“I am now!” you thought to yourself with a wide grin. “I don’t have anything that has to be done, no. Do you want me to meet you somewhere?” 

****

“Why don’t I just pick you up? I can be there at 8, we’ll be able to get some hiking in before it gets too warm out.” 

****

You cringed at being ready to go by 8 in the morning on a day off, but this wasn’t getting ready for work. This was getting ready to spend time with Saeyoung! You agreed readily. The rest of the call was brief, idle chat about your days, before work called him away and you said goodbye. 

You squealed, clutching your phone tightly as you bounced off the couch and danced in a little circle. You had a date! Not just a date, but a date with Saeyoung! You were still grappling with the fact that he was a real person, and here you were, going on a date with him! 

*****

Saeyoung took a deep breath, clutching his phone to his chest. “I did it! I got a date with her!” He exclaimed to the empty room. His initial nervousness turned into joy, and he jumped up out of his chair, accidentally flinging it back into his desk, sending a few empty soda cans clattering to the floor. He jumped up, pumping his fist in the air with a “WAHOO!”. After a moment, he blushed, hoping no one else in the building had heard his sudden outburst. He sat back down and collected himself so he could focus on work again. Instead of slouching and staring at the monotonous lines of code, he hummed a tune and tapped his foot, happy and nervous. Striking the enter key, he spun his chair in a full rotation. Spinny chairs really were a job perk, especially in moments like these.

*****

Saturday morning you beat the alarm out of bed. Shaking your head, you turned it off, thinking about how nice it would be if you could wake up so energized every day! Today, today wasn’t just another day though. Today was your date. Your cheeks hurt from the smile that would not fade from your face, but you didn’t care. Showering quickly, you stepped out and wrapped your hair in a towel. You had picked out an outfit yesterday, but you found yourself digging through your closet again now that it was time to get dressed. Blue, or green, red or yellow? You could not bring yourself to decide which shirt to wear! 

You wanted to look nice, but you didn’t want to wear your best clothes for hiking, either. Jeans were a must. Hiking in shorts was asking for a fight with something spiky. Thankfully, you had the perfect pair of jeans. They curved over your hips and gently outlined your thighs, and you knew they made your ass look amazing.

Whatever shirt you wore had to look good with your hiking boots, which you had recovered from the darker recesses of your closet and brushed up a bit so they didn’t look quite as neglected as they had been. The leather was a medium brown with darker brown accents. That ruled out wearing black. You tugged at your lower lip, as you flipped through the hangers in your closet. No black shirts still left the entire rainbow to choose from. It was not exactly helpful. Then you saw it.

Hiding between a t-shirt from a concert and an oversized sweatshirt was a red gingham blouse. The off-the-shoulder folds, imitating a half-unbuttoned dress shirt, were held up by simple straps. The body was loose, breathable, and would tuck into your jeans without trouble. You could show off your shoulders, look cute, and still be able to move properly while hiking. It was perfect! 

You were finishing the last button before the suddenly emptied hanger stopped swinging. Adjusting the straps, you grinned at your reflection. This was easily a look that fell into the “classic” and “very cute” ranges, and always a safe bet when dressing to be with someone whose tastes you hadn’t learned yet. You thought about a necklace or choker but decided to keep the accessories at a minimum. This was hiking. Things tended to go missing as if there were sprites in the forest who simply took all the shiny things they could as tribute for allowing humans to pass. 

After tying the long laces of the hiking boots, you brushed your hair and pulled it up into a half-ponytail. Thinking again, you pulled out your hair tie and switched to a regular ponytail. Your neck and shoulders were now completely exposed. Biting your lower lip, you traced a line from below your ear to your collarbone. Would he like this, you wondered? With a soft sigh, you saw that your watch was telling you that you were over an hour early in getting ready. “Excited much?” you asked your reflection, before flipping off the light and heading to the kitchen. With this much time free, you should probably find something to eat.

*****

Saeyoung found himself pacing around his house, unable to sit still, or even sit at all. He didn’t need to leave for at least an hour, but he was already dressed and ready to go. He’d picked up the same can of Dr. Pepper four times out of habit, flicking at the tab, narrowly resisting the urge to open it. He’d been up for almost an hour and had only had two so far. Being too hyper for their date would be bad. No more caffeine, you can do this. 

He’d spent far too long debating what to wear. He started with the outfit he frequently wore at home - the same one he’d patterned his in-game avatar after. However, he wanted to show her other sides of himself. She probably assumed he was just a computer nerd who sat behind a glowing screen all day. Normally he’d be more than OK with that, preferring to hide how fit he was so that people would underestimate him. However, that was the opposite of what he was going for today. 

He eventually went with a dark gold, short sleeved shirt, a bit tighter than he was usually comfortable with, showing off his muscles without being gratuitous about it. His jeans fit like gloves down to the top of his thighs, where they tapered slightly out before falling in a straight line to cover the top of his tennis shoes. He had thought about boots, but the boots he wore when he had to work in the field weren’t exactly fashion statements. The only other shoes he had were dress shoes and that would never do for a hike, so, tennis shoes it was. At least they were nice, he shrugged to himself. When he looked in the mirror to fix his hair, however, he found he’d encountered his greatest challenge of the morning.

He stared at his reflection for a few moments, fiddling with the red fringe that was threatening to cover his eyes. There was no time to get professional help on this case, and imagining the aftermath if he tried to cut it himself made him cringe. He could part it, but that would probably last until the first gust of wind or stray branch met him. He would just hold onto the hope that the crimson disaster on his head was part of his apparent charm. 

After several more minutes of pacing and fidgeting with his phone, reading her messages over again, he headed to his garage. He needed to calm his nerves and driving was always the best cure when he was feeling like this. He plotted out a very scenic route that would get him to her apartment at 8am on the dot, but also give him some relaxing time with his favorite car. He settled into the familiar bucket seat with a contented sigh. The purr of the engine energized him. He was ready. It was going to be a very good day, he was sure of it. 

***

Even though you were already staring at your phone intently, the message that popped in at exactly 8am almost made you jump off of the couch. 

“Your chariot awaits, madame!”

The nervousness you’d nearly finished quelling was back in full force. You waged an epic battle with auto-correct before finally replying.

“I’ll be right there!”

You grabbed the small, tan, mailbag style purse that had room for your phone and your wallet, but not much more. It was perfect, you thought, for keeping things secured while not weighing you down. You checked your reflection one final time before grabbing your keys and opening the door. 

When you stepped outside, you looked out to the parking lot and saw Saeyoung waiting in a cherry red convertible with the top down. You gulped. “Oh god,” you thought to yourself, “He’s still hot.” You waved before locking your door and slid the keys into your bag as you approached the car. You took very slow, deliberate breaths, determined to keep your cool and not act like a complete idiot on sight. It wasn’t easy though, with the way the wind moved his hair, the layers glistening in the sun as they shifted.

****

Saeyoung saw her step out of her apartment and his breath caught. Her bare shoulders were smooth and beautiful. She had dressed for hiking, which was a relief. Not every girl understood how to do that. He couldn’t take his eyes off the line of her neck, the gradual slope of her collarbone, the… She waved and his hand rose reflexively, mirroring the gesture.

“Easy there, buddy. It’s just a date,” he mumbled to himself as she approached. Realizing that she was walking toward the car, he hopped out and hurried around to open the door on the passenger side for her.

****

“Good morning!” you beamed at him as he opened your door. You knew that you were beaming. You also knew you couldn’t help that you were. Maybe if you just went with it, you could avoid looking like a dork. Your breath felt so tight though. The instant his eyes met yours, you were certain you were going to faint again.

****

“Good morning!” he responded with a broad smile. “You look great,” he said. “Perfect for hiking!” Inside his mind he thought “That was not the way to compliment her.” 

****

As you slid into the car, you tilted your head, looking to be sure you didn’t overshoot the seat. No need to be a clutz. “Thank you,” you replied, looking up at him. “I haven’t been in forever.” 

****

He noticed that right above her collarbone, her pulse jumped rapidly beneath her skin. She looked calm, but her heart was racing. On the one hand, he wanted to reach out and touch that leaping spot. On the other, he was just relieved that she was clearly nervous as well. Not being the only one who was excited and nervous this morning was something he could work with.

****

Conversation flowed much easier between the two of you once you got on the road. You were happy that you decided to put your hair up in a ponytail. You hadn’t ridden in a convertible before, and while they looked luxurious, you understood why women wore scarves in them. The wind felt wonderful, but would have made a mess of your hair. 

You were also impressed by his skill at the wheel. He seemed to navigate traffic effortlessly and he looked like he was truly at home in the driver’s seat. Before long, you’d realized you were doing most of the talking. He prompted you with questions about your life, your hobbies, and your work, responding with interest and the occasional joke. You weren’t used to someone taking such interest in the mundanities of your life, and it was nice. While sometimes it was hard to hear each other over the rushing wind and the hum of the engine, he still kept you smiling the whole way. 

“We’re here,” Saeyoung announced, slowing the car. The steep incline of the mountain road had smoothed as he drove into a valley. The shoulder of the road grew wide again and he eased to a stop where the road gave way to grass. Putting up the top before leaving the car, he rounded the front and opened your door for you. Once the car was locked, he retrieved a cooler from the trunk, grinning.

“One picnic, as promised!”

“Oh good!” you teased. “I hoped we weren’t going to have to scavenge for nuts and berries!”

“Well, if you prefer those, I could help you.” He patted the side of the cooler. “I’m eating what’s in here, though.” 

You laughed a little at his comment, earning a grin and a wink from him. Saeyoung took your hand as he led you away from the car. The cooler had a handy strap, allowing him to carry it across his body and keep his hands free. He had said it would be off-trail hiking, but you hadn’t thought he meant away from a park or any other starting point. The hiking boots were, indeed, a good choice!

“I like to come out here when I can,” Saeyoung was explaining as he led the way into the tall trees. “There’s rarely anyone else around. The main parts of the parks are always so crowded and noisy. This way, we don’t have to deal with other people. We might see the deer, too. They don’t go around the busy places, either.” 

“Deer? You mean, real, wild deer?” You couldn’t remember seeing deer before.

“Mhm,” he nodded, smiling back at you. “There’s a little herd that shows up sometimes where we’re going to have our picnic.” 

“Oh wow! That would be amazing! I hope they show up!” you exclaimed. 

“We’ll have to be quiet, if they’re going to, though. I’ll tell you when we have to start watching for them.”

You walked with him, asking questions about his experiences hiking and camping. It turned out that he hadn’t hiked much until he went to college. Chicago was better for swimming and small scale attempts at surfing on Lake Michigan, than it was for camping and hiking. The college he attended in New York was near a popular park and his dorm mate convinced him to go along. He went often with a group from school after that, and admitted to having had daydreams of moving into a forest on more than one instance.

You noted, as the walk continued, that he was deliberately taking routes that while sometimes wound more, had more level ground. He was taking it easy on you. It made you smirk a little to yourself because you were reasonably certain that you could keep up with him. None of the terrain you’d covered was harsh. The ground slanted gently, with intermittent spaces where it was only marginally steeper than the rest of the walk had been. You couldn’t take offense though. It was sweet that he was being so considerate. 

The trees didn’t part or thin, so much as they stopped. Beyond them, you stepped, blinking, into the sunlight with Saeyoung. Your eyes adjusted rapidly to a wide, grassy bank that ran along a clear stream. The water churned and bubbled over larger rocks that were worn smooth by the constant flow. On the far bank, a fallen tree lay, the submerged end forcing the water to flow over and around it in glittering ribbons. The deeper places, where the water ran more smoothly, revealed the clarity of the stream, allowing you to see to the bottom of the streambed. 

“Oh! Saeyoung! It’s beautiful!” you gasped.

****

Saeyoung watched her face as he led her out of the trees. He’d been here so many times, but always alone. He had never brought anyone to this place of quiet reflection. Mostly, he came here to do what his brother called “moping,” when he became depressed or dissatisfied with life. She didn’t know that, of course, but he couldn’t think of any place he’d rather have brought her. From the instant he set eyes on her, he wanted to bring her here, to his own little sanctuary. She didn’t have to know what it meant to him just now. He knew, and that was enough.

When her face lit up, he knew he’d been right. She could see and appreciate the beauty of this scene. She looked enraptured as she surveyed the stream. He was entranced by the beauty of her, standing there beside him, completely immersed in his little slice of heaven. Had she always been what was missing when he came here before? Was it because she wasn’t with him that he sometimes left feeling dissatisfied and uneasy?

She turned to face him and he couldn’t look away. The sun brightened her eyes and struck someplace deep inside him. He wanted, in that exact moment, to put his arms around her and never let her be anywhere but at his side.

****

You had started to ask how Saeyoung had found this place, but the look in his eyes stole your words. You felt your face flush, and looked away quickly. If you’d suddenly found yourself standing naked before him, you’d have felt less surprised at the nameless something you sensed in the way he watched you.

****

The moment broken, he said, “I’m glad you like it. I thought this would be a good place for the picnic, and to give you a break from the hiking.” 

You noticed that he sounded suddenly more shy than he had only a few minutes ago, and wondered why. Looking back up at him, you saw his golden brown eyes fixed on the stream before you. “It’s perfect! I don’t really need a break, but does that stream feel as good on bare feet as I think it does?” you asked. 

He laughed, leading the way again, still holding your hand. “Even better than you think it does!” he declared.

Dropping the cooler at the side of the stream, Saeyoung began to shed his shoes and you followed his example. With your pant legs rolled up, you tested the water with your toes. It was frigid! You were relatively certain you’d had ice water that was less cold! With a squeak, you danced back to the safety of the bank.

Saeyoung was already standing in the stream, water pouring over his exposed ankles. He looked at you in surprise. “You didn’t want to come in?” he asked, confused. 

“It’s COLD!” you exclaimed. 

“It’s a stream, in the mountains,” he explained, sticking his tongue out at you. 

“I didn’t know it was going to be so cold though,” you pouted a little. 

“Just come on in,” he urged you, grinning in amusement. “It’s not as bad as it feels. I bet your feet are just warm from the hike down here.” 

You watched as he kicked a foot playfully, casting droplets of water into the air. Chewing your lip you approached the stream again. Cold feet were miserable, but you weren’t about to be outdone. With a sharp breath, you stepped into the stream. Saeyoung held his hand out to you again, and as if it were the most natural thing in the world, you took it, allowing him to steady you as you found your footing. 

Thankfully, the cold ceased to be as sharp as it had been during your initial test. The steady flow of the stream was soothing and energizing at the same time. You watched as Saeyoung wiggled his toes under the surface of the stream like a boy in a mud puddle. It was adorable, endearing, and a little unexpected. You weren’t sure when, but you stepped closer to him, your arm pressing against his.

The warmth of his skin contrasted with the cold water of the stream. It felt so comfortable, so natural to be there with him. You felt your head drift toward his shoulder, wanting to lean into him more fully. He tensed, and you wondered if perhaps he wasn’t so sure about you yet. As you stood, you considered going back to the banks. 

****

“Why did I do that?” Saeyoung asked himself. She had tried to rest her head on his shoulder and he froze. He’d watched her step into the water, raptly observing the way the water parted to allow her to come and stand with him. She’d taken his hand so easily, without any hesitation. He was kicking himself for ruining the moment when he looked down and saw their fingers still entwined. A soft smile turned his lips up at the edges. Okay, maybe it wasn’t ruined entirely. 

****

“Hungry?” he asked.

“I suppose I could eat a little,” you replied, looking up at him. “We should probably leave the water too, before our toes turn blue.” 

“My toes aren’t blue,” Saeyoung laughed. “See?” He kicked a foot up out of the water, splashing your leg.

“Oh! Hey now!” you squealed, dancing away. The instant you could, you turned and scooped water back at him. He’d gotten your leg with a few drops of water. You were not so merciful. You sloshed as much as you could at him.

****

“What!?” Saeyoung called, startled as his pant leg was suddenly wet enough to cling to the side of his calf. Looking up, he saw his date laughing and hopping up onto the bank of the stream. She’d made a critical error though. She was still holding his hand. Saeyoung’s fingers tightened and he pulled her back into the water. An arm shot out to keep her from falling completely into the stream, but he wasn’t going to go unavenged. As she kicked and squealed, he allowed her antics to get her pants as wet as she’d gotten his. The flip side was, his became more soaked the more she kicked.

****

You squirmed, laughing, until you freed yourself. You knew your pants had gotten wet, but hadn’t realized that you’d managed to get Saeyoung’s as well. The two of you made your way out of the stream, laughing. It was worth it. You loved his laugh. It came up from deep in his chest, bubbling forth and spilling out to surround you. You decided to make him laugh as often as possible, just to hear it again. 

Once on the shore, he opened the cooler, unfolding a large tablecloth from the top. Hidden within were containers with grapes, sliced apples, cubes of cheese, and crackers. He pulled out a bottle of water and one of a yellow drink, offering both. 

“Water or lemonade?” he asked with a slight tilt to his head.

“Ooh! Lemonade sounds wonderful!” You took the bottle and unscrewed the lid, hearing a slight hiss as you did. Looking over at Saeyoung with a questioning expression, you paused. 

“It’s fizzy, like a soft drink,” he grinned proudly. “I made it myself.” 

Curious, you opened the bottle and tasted the contents. The tartness of the lemonade danced across your tongue as the carbonation fizzed against your palate. It was a new experience, having lemonade that acted like a soft drink, but it was good!

“You like it?” he asked, watching your taste test with interest. 

Nodding, you replied, “It’s really good. I wouldn’t have thought of making it this way. What was the inspiration?” 

Saeyoung laughed softly. “I wish I had a great story, but I was bored and experimenting.” 

“Well,” you grinned, “here’s to experimenting!” 

As you shared the meal, you each kept your legs out in the sun, drying your pants in the warm morning light. Saeyoung laid back, an arm crooked under his head, listening to you tell of family picnics. You were glad he wasn’t watching you when you began to reach forward to play with his hair. You yanked the wayward appendage back and flopped down on your back, folding your hands over yourself. 

****

Saeyoung saw her hand reach forward and then yank back from the corner of his eye. Why had she stopped? he wondered. When she laid down he caught the faint color in her face and grinned. She was still uneasy, but that was alright. He was too.

****

You asked about his past, wanting to know more about this red headed surprise who had turned your world on end. At first, his responses were slow, almost hesitant. With a little prying though, you got him talking more about his family and his life before you. He had always been a bit of a prankster, it turned out, and he had you laughing hard enough to pull tears from your eyes as he recounted some of his more audacious stunts.

You realized that you were holding his hand again, as he spoke. When had that happened? It was as if you each were suffering from hands that were determined to remain together and notify their owners of the fact later. 

It wasn’t until he turned on his side, looking at you quietly, that you started to feel that shy sense of needing to hide again. There was nowhere to hide though. There was this open space, the quiet of the forest, the warmth of the sun seeping through your exposed skin, and his eyes with their gentleness and questions unasked.

Suddenly he put his finger over his lips, cautioning you to be quiet. Nodding toward the stream, he signaled you to look. You sat up slowly, and skirting the edge of the trees you saw a doe and fawn looking nervously toward the stream. She didn’t let her young one pass her, clearly unwilling to approach while humans were so close. Their movements were so graceful and beautiful though, you covered your mouth to avoid gasping and frightening them away. 

Saeyoung tapped your shoulder. He had already packed the picnic back up and motioned toward the trees. You stood slowly, backing away while he shoved the cloth back into the cooler. Together, you walked into the trees, turning to see the doe approaching the stream carefully as the fawn danced along behind her.

****

When she looked at him, Saeyoung thought he might not breathe again. Her eyes were full of wonder, having seen the deer. Her smile was wider than any he’d seen all day. Every aspect of her relayed excitement that could break free in an instant. Had he thought her stunning when she saw the stream? If so, she was now entrancing, a forest spirit come to greet him.

He looked away sharply, kicking himself for staring like that. Moving quickly, he headed back uphill toward the car. 

“We should head back,” he called to her. “Keep up though, I …” He cut himself off. He had almost said, “I don’t want to lose you again.” 

****

You were a little startled at how brusquely he spoke, but he didn’t seem angry. Confused, you followed him. Aside from this one moment, this entire date had been pure magic so far. Saeyoung was smart, funny, strong - you’d noted that well when he was holding you in the stream - and attentive. You felt a little odd, not holding his hand, and that startled you. How could you feel odd about not holding his hand so quickly?

You knew the answer. Whether you’d met because of the game or not, you were crazy about him. Spending time with him in person only made the way you felt grow stronger. You didn’t want to go back to the car, truthfully. You wanted to spend the rest of the day with him, and maybe the next several days.

An idea had been brewing incessantly in your mind as you trailed along behind him. You were afraid it might be too silly, but you couldn’t help yourself any longer. You shushed the part of your mind that accused you have having ulterior motives. Maybe you’d just wanted to hear him laugh again, or to play around a bit more before you left this beautiful place. Either way, the idea wouldn’t leave you be. Besides, you weren’t worried about getting lost as you could see his car and the road off in the distance. Breaking into a jog, you closed the few steps to catch up with Saeyoung. 

You tapped him on the shoulder and blurted, “tag, you’re it!” and dashed past him before glancing over your shoulder to see if he was following. He wore a look of surprise and amusement, but was already starting to pick up speed.

“Are you going to let me catch you that easily?” he taunted, rapidly shrinking the distance between you. You took the bait and started running through the forest at full tilt while laughing wildly. In all honesty, you didn’t think you’d mind at all if he caught you, but decided to give him a challenge.

“Catch me if you can,” you shouted, while deftly winding between the trees. From the sound of his boots crunching on the pine needle carpet of the forest, he was still gaining on you. Your heart was pounding and not just from the physical exertion. 

He returned your challenge. “Oh, I will. Don’t worry.” The teasing tone of his voice made you shiver. Your mind was racing, imagination running wild. This game was far more exhilarating than you’d expected. A thud behind you told you he’d let go of the cooler, showing how serious he was about catching up to you. He was getting even closer, and would catch you any second. You ducked behind a tree, bracing your hand on the trunk as you spun to change direction and dodge the steps you heard right behind you.

Just a few steps later you were halted in your tracks by strong arms wrapping around your waist from behind, nearly lifting you off your feet. Laughter filled the forest from both of you, then trailed off as you both realized the position you were in. He hadn’t let go of you yet, and you were acutely aware of the hard planes of his chest pressing against your back and his breath tickling at your ear. 

****

His arms were finally around her. Saeyoung breathed in the scent of her hair as if it were oxygen. He’d wanted to hold her like this all day, he only lacked the certainty to do so. And now, now she was his prize, chased and caught. His heart raced, pounding hard against his breastbone. It wasn’t the running that made it speed so wildly.

He was going to hold her like this forever. There had never been anyone he’d met that made him feel this way. He was captivated by everything about her. He couldn’t help himself. His head began to move, his lips reaching toward the exposed shoulder before him. Catching himself, he let her go and stepped back uncertainly.

****

After a few tantalizing moments, he suddenly let go and stepped away, as if afraid he’d overstepped. You turned, grinning at how flustered he looked. His hair was a mess, and a blush that almost matched it tinted his cheeks. However, the dark look in his eyes, his slightly parted lips, his chest heaving with heavy breaths, all told another story. Neither of you were ready for the moment to end. 

You took a confident step forward and placed your hands on his chest, gazing up into his shining golden eyes. Being this close to him was intoxicating. This was the first time you’d noticed the subtle cologne he was wearing, and it blended perfectly with the scent of pine that lingered on him. The dappled sunlight that made it through the trees played along his hair, making it shine. His striped glasses had slid down his nose a little from running through the woods. He was so handsome and endearing, you couldn’t take it. 

You smiled up at him shyly, leaning towards him ever so slightly, hoping he’d understand your invitation. He seemed startled at first, but slowly his hands drifted up to your arms, bringing you even closer together. You could hardly breathe, feeling like you were at the edge of a cliff. 

At last, his lips brushed against yours, warm and sweet. As gentle as it was, it was utterly electrifying. You felt like a circuit was finally completed. The quiet sounds of the forest faded away entirely, as all you could hear was your heartbeat and the two of you breathing. His movements were halting, as if he was still afraid to scare you away, making your heart ache, and leaving you desperately wanting more of him. 

That wouldn’t do. You decided that needed to know how you felt about him without a doubt. You let your arms wrap around his body, fingers dancing along the muscles of his back, holding him close to you and deepening the kiss. Saeyoung’s nervousness melted away at last, and he returned your embrace, one hand finding its way to the nape of your neck, slender fingers gripping at you to keep you in place. Not that you would have wanted to escape this. When his tongue teased at your lips, you opened yourself to him, moaning into his mouth. This kiss, the emotions and desire coursing through you, were so much more than you’d hoped for and put even your overactive imagination to shame. 

****

Saeyoung thought he might melt right on the spot. Her lips were as warm, soft, and inviting as they promised to be. He had meant only a small kiss, not wanting to press for more, but she’d so clearly responded and asked for more. With her willingness expressed, he felt as if someone had unchained his heart and mind. He wanted to devour her with both, to be devoured by hers.

****

He suddenly broke the kiss, smirking at you, eyes full of lust. Still locked in an embrace, he stepped forward, urging you backwards until you gasped as your back made contact with a large tree. He fell upon you again instantly, one hand on the bark next to your head. His other hand came to rest on your bare shoulder, thumb tracing circles along your collarbone. You were glad you’d chosen this shirt, finding you very much enjoyed being so exposed before him. The bark of the tree scraped against the back of your shoulder as his lips wandered over yours before finding the underside of your jaw.

Your breath came in heavy gasps and you clung to his shoulders, pulling him more tightly against your body as you fought to find some way to keep your head. When his teeth grazed against your neck, your fingers curled tightly, digging into his shirt. It was the last physical sensation you could differentiate as fire erupted through your veins and you whimpered beneath his overwhelming presence. 

****

Saeyoung was fighting for control he didn’t want to keep. When she whimpered, he nearly lost all hope of it. His teeth found the tenderness of her shoulder and closed forcefully. His mind filled with images of her clothing cast aside so he could feel her body against his. His hand pressed against the trunk of the tree, letting the edges bite into his palm and keep him sane despite the complete absence of sanity that he felt beside her.

****

You pulled your grip free of his shirt and reached down, tracing your fingers beneath the fabric and up to his chest. You felt the rumbling inside him as he groaned and turned to take his lip between your teeth before sucking softly on it.

A single, horrible, eruption of noise shattered the forest. Saeyoung jumped back, pivoting sharply on one foot and looking around, frantic. His arm was held out before you protectively.

From your hazed mind, it took a moment to realize what it was. A truck passing by on the road had laid on the airhorn. You didn’t know why, you and Saeyoung were still far enough in the trees to be hidden. It was the most horrible timing possible, though. The intoxicating moment had been crushed under the weight of the abrupt blast.

Saeyoung turned back to you and your face felt like it was going to turn a very bright, permanent shade of red. He blushed as well and looked away, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“I, uh, I guess we should get back to the car,” he said. 

You weren’t wanting to go back to the car, but the moment was gone. You reached forward though, and took his hand in yours. “If you want,” you smiled, leaning against him.

Saeyoung gulped audibly and turned, not letting go of you, leading you back up to the car.


	3. Evidence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You invite your new boyfriend in for a cold drink, but both of you are still caught up in that moment in the forest...

The drive back into town was not the silent, awkward journey that you had feared it might be. Saeyoung had you laughing most of the way, his face lighting up as he told you stories about his friends. You could tell he really cared about all of them. 

It was hard to keep your eyes off of him, and you grinned when you caught him stealing glances at you as well. You were a few blocks away from your apartment when you realized his voice had trailed off and the car jostled slightly. Wait, when had you moved your hand to his thigh?! You were never this forward! 

Once you got over the shock from your wayward hand’s mischief, you took a moment to appreciate how taut the muscles of his thighs were. There was no way this man just had a desk job, unless he worked out every day… You removed your hand from his thigh as casually as possible as images filled your mind of him drenched in sweat, shirtless, muscles straining… 

****  
Pulling into the parking lot, Saeyoung found a place near your door. He came around the car and let you out, avoiding your eyes as he did. 

“I’ll walk you up to your place,” he half-mumbled.

“Did you want to come in for a while?” you asked. “It was kind of warm on the hike. I can fix up something cold to drink.” 

The look Saeyoung gave you didn’t suggest cold drinks. It suggested warm oils and lit candles. You gulped.

It wasn’t like you weren’t having those thoughts. The entire drive back you’d been wishing you could go back to the forest, back to being pinned against that tree, back to… 

****   
“Go in for a while?” Saeyoung asked himself. He wondered how long “a while” might be. That damn truck pissed him off. He knew they hadn’t been seen, so what was up with the air horn? 

Either way, he really wanted to pick things back up again. He didn’t want to force the point, but he was not about to deny that what he wanted was to see her under him, sweating, gasping…. 

He coughed and looked away from her. “Are you sure you’re alright with me coming in?” 

****  
You still weren’t sure your heart rate had slowed from before the drive home. Whatever pounding speed it was racing along at increased suddenly. The surge of adrenaline that accompanied it gave you a moment of slightly more courage than you usually had.

You were filled with a mix of exhilaration and trepidation… it made you think of skydiving. This is why you are here. You came all this way to jump out of the plane because you wanted to more than anything. “Just do it,” you told yourself

You looked into his eyes with an intensity that left no room for questions and responded, “I am more than alright with you coming in.” 

Your fingers twined into his, leading him to your door. You weren’t one to be so forward, but you also weren’t one to be so obsessed with a character from a game that you couldn’t stop thinking about him. You were nervous about what he might think of you, but also oddly unconcerned with your reputation at the moment. Somehow, you didn’t think he would think anything about you that you wouldn’t like.

*****

Saeyoung followed, certain that he looked very meek at the moment. Truth be told, meek was not the feeling to describe his thoughts. His only fear was pushing too far, too soon. Giving her any reason to distrust him, to push him away, would be too much.

Her fingers held his tightly, transmitting reassurances through his skin. She crossed the parking lot, leading with straight-back confidence that left his blood racing. She didn’t even let go of his hand while opening her door.

Everything she was doing told him that she had meant it when she said she was sure about him coming into her apartment right now. He could hardly stand the wait now. It seemed forever for her key to turn in the lock and the deadbolt to retreat into the door with a deep “thunk.”

****

You held one of his hands firmly while unlocking the door with a shaky hand. Once it was finally open, your eyes met, a silent invitation passing between you. As soon as the door was closed, he fell upon you, his hands and your back crashing against the door, keys falling forgotten from your fingertips as you lost yourself in the sweet sensation of his lips against yours. 

Just days ago you’d stood here, watching him through the peephole as he nearly walked away, as you nearly missed this connection. At that thought, you wrapped your arms around him tightly, not wanting to ever let him go. 

The sudden depth of the emotions welling up in your chest surprised you. Once, the idea of being with him was impossible. Now the thought of being apart from him seemed just as surreal. You kissed Saeyoung back fiercely, letting yourself get lost in him, hoping he understood and felt the same way. 

He pulled away far too soon, and you took the chance to try to catch your breath. His amber eyes held yours, his expression serious. “You’re absolutely sure about this, right? Because… I don’t want to hold back. I don’t know if I’d be…”

You gently placed a finger on his lips to silence him. Despite the nervous energy thrumming through your body, you mustered every ounce of confidence you could into your voice. “Saeyoung, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” 

Saeyoung’s face lit up with an almost boyish, beaming smile, though the look you glimpsed in his eyes as he leaned in to kiss you again clearly told the rest of the story. This time his hands found your bare shoulders. His touch was feather-light, almost ticklish, leaving you trembling. A moan left your lips, so quiet you were sure he hadn’t heard it until his grasp on you tightened suddenly and his hips surged forward, pinning you against the door again. You sucked in a hissing breath, feeling him hot and achingly hard already. 

Of the torrent of thoughts racing through your mind, you singled one of them out and grasped onto it, even as his hungry mouth began trailing hot kisses down your throat. 

“Ah… Saeyoung… wait.” 

His breath teased along your neck as he whispered, “am I moving too fast?” 

“No, just... Bedroom, now, please?” 

His chest rumbled as quiet laughter bubbled up from within him. His lips ghosted over your ear along with the words, “lead the way.”

*****

Saeyoung didn’t find himself so much “led” to the bedroom as he was gradually moved in that direction. He could not take his hands or lips from her exposed shoulder. That skin he’d wanted to taste so badly was now free to him. It was warm and soft beneath his lips, firm beneath his teeth, and his mind stopped forming clear phrases as he indulged. 

She fell back against the wall, her fingers lifting the edge of his shirt and he growled and yanked it over his head, returning to her lips. He didn’t remember gripping her breast, but there it was, pliant beneath his fingers, and his grip drew a soft gasp from her throat.

Another couple of steps and he tugged at a button on her blouse, pausing to look into her eyes. She nodded and he pulled every button free with excruciating slowness, holding her gaze as he did. As he pulled it away from her he groaned. She wasn’t wearing a bra.

She looked up at him, smiling, almost brazen in her encouragement. He saw an underlying shyness, the split second of hesitance in her eyes. Bracing his legs on either side of her own, he smiled down at her and drew his thumb over her nipple, between the flesh and the cloth of her shirt.

Her knees buckled and he smiled more broadly, holding her up with his free arm as he pulled her breast free of the blouse. They stood close enough that he could feel the heat of her body pressing against his own. The look in her eyes lost the hesitance she’d had before and began to move toward pleading.

“More?” he asked, his voice rumbling with desire.

***

You barely realized that he’d spoken, your mind already growing hazy from his ministrations. His single word question registered, and your face grew hot as you realized exactly how badly you wanted more. That heat curled further down your body, licking at your spine. Your head lolled back against the wall. You’d only managed to move a couple feet closer to the bedroom. “God, please…,” you uttered.

His dark laughter made you shiver. “Mmm, I thought it would take a lot more before you were calling me God Seven.” He dipped his head to nip at the hollow of your exposed throat, trailing kisses along your collarbone. “Not that I’m complaining.” Your breath hitched as he began to roll your nipple between his thumb and forefinger, with the barest of pressure. “It does have a ring to it, doesn’t it?” 

You trembled beneath his touch. This was too much. You couldn’t take anymore waiting. Your fingers rose to unfasten the button on his pants. 

He leaned in to kiss your neck again, his lips softly brushing against the fiery surface, drawing flames that burned through your blood. He didn’t stop you, though. 

You turned your face and drove your teeth into his skin, sucking as you flicked the tip of your tongue over the salty, soft texture. You caught a lingering scent of pine over the undercurrent of his own sweet and musky scent, and breathed deeply of him. Your hands were shaking as you pulled at the uncooperative button, frustration welling within you. More. You needed more of this man immediately. 

He groaned but continued his gentle, adoring progress from your collarbone toward your earlobe. It was maddening, and you bit down harder, wanting to drive him forward. 

You whined against his neck as you tugged harder against the fastening of his pants. Saeyoung’s breath tickled at your ear as he whispered “ooooh, so eager~.” He paused his exploration of your neck to grin down at you, his eyes shining, though nearly hidden by his now messy crimson fringe. “As cute as you are when you’re frustrated, I think I can help with that. Just relax.” He slid a hand down your belly. You pressed your hips forward as you felt his touch trace across your skin, finding space between the denim and your flesh to continue as he approached the heat between your legs.

You nearly fell apart when you felt one of his long digits trace along the cleft between your legs, over your panties. His movements were slow and gentle. Even restricted by your clothing, his talented fingers were already driving you wild. Your legs almost gave out when his lips found your neck again, and your world canted slightly as you found yourself sliding down the wall. He removed his hand all too soon, and muttered something about the bedroom. That was your only warning before he suddenly picked you up, making you squeak, and carried you the rest of the way to your room. 

***  
Some part of his mind was still yelling that he was moving too fast, being too forward. Her moans and eagerness were getting better and better at drowning out that stream of thought, though. She wanted this. She wanted him. God was surely smiling down upon him at last. Well, not right then. God didn’t need to see everything. 

He gently laid her down on her bed, relishing in the way her hair spread out around her, tousled and sun dappled from the light coming in through the window. Her cute gingham top was barely covering any of her heaving chest, leaving him yearning to see more of her. He just wanted to fall upon her and devour her, making her his in every way. 

Before that, though, he had to make sure she knew she was in control here. He shuddered as his mind offered up the phrase “at least, for now.” There would be time to explore that later. “If you want me to stop at any point, just tell me, OK?” His cheeks burned at her breathless whisper of “I promise.” 

With that, he cast aside his restraint and climbed up onto her bed next to her, grinning as his weight caused her to roll over, facing him. He helped her the rest of the way out of her top, and tossed it over his shoulder. God, she was beautiful. Her slender fingers reached for him, finding his shoulders. He let her pull him down for a deep kiss, moaning as she nipped at his lower lip and as she let her nails dig into his shoulders. Everything about her said she wanted more and he was more than willing to provide.

***  
He had barely touched you, but your whole body was a raging inferno. You’d never felt this way about anyone before. The thought of begging someone to take you to bed after your first date was at once foreign to you and so right. Your pulse seemed so loud and fast, much of it focused between your legs. You needed more, and while words escaped you at the moment, you let your lips and fingers spell it out for him. 

At his guidance, you shifted to lay on your back again, and he moved on top of you, kneeling between your thighs. You giggled as he adjusted his glasses before leaning in to undo the button on your jeans. He teased at the zipper briefly before smirking down at you and releasing the metal tab. Frustration had no time to well up within you before he fell upon you, cupping one breast in his hand, kissing nearly every inch of it as he slowly circled in on your hard peak. You moaned ardently as he lavished your chest with attention, lips on one breast, and his hand on the other. You were sure you were going to come undone just from this until he stopped. 

Before you could utter the plea that rose in your throat, he finished his work on your zipper and grabbed the back of your pants. With one motion, he pulled them over your ass, your bare skin sliding free to find the rough denim replaced by the soft cotton of your sheets. He shifted his grip, pulling your jeans off completely. You marveled at how he towered over you from his knees, his eyes roving across your bare body.

*****   
Saeyoung managed to hold his jaw closed so that he didn’t gape, but inside, he was in awe. She was laying there, naked, completely willing, encouraging even. Her breath came in gasps and her body trembled. She was beautiful, and she was his! He’d known she was different when she played his game, but he hadn’t expected her to be so mind-blowingly perfect. He took in the sight of her, remembering the stream in the forest, the moments after he had caught her and pressed her against the tree. His heart was pounding in his ears, a deep backbeat to her short breaths.

She raised a hand to him, inviting him to return and he thought he was going to lose all hope of control. “Steady, steady,” he reminded himself. There was no way he wanted to rush this. No, he wanted to rush this. He wanted to tear off his pants and dive into her. He wasn’t going to let that happen though. 

Smiling, he leaned over her, drawing a leg up so that his knee rested just out of reach as she wriggled, trying to press her heat against his thigh. He let his free hand ghost over her ribs, trail over the curve of her stomach, luxuriating in the sight and feel of her. Ah, but it wouldn’t do to let her suffer any longer. He traced a winding trail down her body. Had he ever felt skin so soft as this? 

Finding the hollow inside her hip, he let her shape define the path as he leaned in to kiss her lips that were so full and warm while he finally reached her heat again, parting that second set of lips and fighting a fresh wave of excitement and desire as he felt how wet she was. She gasped at his touch and it was intoxicating. His entire body was thrumming with pleasure, and he was only starting.

*****

You felt your hips surge forward and slammed your hand into the blankets beneath you, curling your fingers tightly. Saeyoung’s lips drew yours into them, sucking softly as he kissed you. Your gasp escaped into the kiss, and you tugged at his lip with your teeth, softly, pleading. 

Pulling at it again, you finally broke the button on his pants free. Fumbling for the zipper, you started to pull it down as you kissed him back more intensely. 

His fingers didn’t stop tracing the warm, wet places between your legs with agonizing slowness as he chuckled and pulled you away from his pants. “Not yet,” he murmured against your mouth. “Not yet.” 

You groaned, fighting to get back to the task of pulling that zipper open. “Please,” you begged. “Please, Saeyoung, I … please…” 

*****   
The sound of her begging was too much. Dear god, he was going to lose any semblance of control right here and now. He shivered and lowered his hips, pressing against her thigh, seeking relief from the pulsing frustration that wanted him to throw aside all his intentions. 

*****  
You felt him against you, so hard that you knew he wasn’t comfortable inside his jeans. Why wouldn’t he let you take them off? His fingertip traced around your opening and you moaned again, his name barely more than a whisper in the deep tones that echoed from your dry throat. Lifting your leg, you rolled it against him, rewarded with the feeling of him throbbing against your skin. 

You saw his eyes close and he gasped. Taking his face in your palms, you waited until he looked down at you again. 

“Saeyoung, please? I know… I know it’s fast, but it’s okay, with me I mean. Please? I want you so badly, please…” 

Had you ever thought that you’d see the day you would beg a man for his touch? You enjoyed sex as much as the next person, but this was more need, more unyielding demand than your mind or body had experienced before. Need, yes, not desire, just need. You needed him, you needed all of him and you needed to give him all of yourself. 

****  
“If I even try right now, it’ll never ….” Saeyoung thought to himself as he was met with that intense gaze and the pleading tones that were as rich and enticing as warm honey.

Tearing himself away from her touch, he moved down her body, kissing and nipping. He shoved her leg aside, biting his lip as he looked for the first time on the deep pinks and reds of the flower beneath him. Her aroma filled his senses and he watched her body curl invitingly as he moved his explorations to her inner walls.

She moaned his name, planting a foot flat against the mattress while her thigh trembled with the desire to lift her upward.

Upon seeing those muscles moving, Saeyoung ran his free hand over her skin and up to her abdomen, where he began to massage her womb from the outside as he sought out the hardened pearl inside. Her body trembled in one long wave as she continued pleading, reaching for him. 

He bent his face slowly, breathing hotly against her burning flesh, before allowing himself that first taste of her. 

****  
You couldn’t think anymore, only feel. Your cry of ecstasy echoed through the room as his seeking fingers found their goal within you. Deep waves of pleasure rocked through your body with each small movement of his digits. You let your head drop to the pillow, eyes closing as you sank into its soft embrace. Focusing on his adorations, you let yourself relax, your ravenous need for him somewhat satisfied for the moment. 

Relaxation was short-lived as you felt Saeyoung’s hot breath flitting over your folds. Your body was already trembling in anticipation before he licked a long, slow line from where his fingers were delving within you up to your clit. Once there, he pointed his tongue, flicking it back and forth across your needy flesh. If it weren’t for the hand on your belly, you’re sure you would have arced entirely off of the bed, so bombarded as you were with sensation. 

He repeated the motion, leaving you panting and shaking, and on the verge of coming undone before him. Rallying your strength, you lifted your head off the pillow enough to look at him. At the sight of his head bowed between your thighs you filled the room with his name, letting it leave your lips in a long moan. He glanced up, lust-darkened eyes meeting yours from behind his disheveled crimson fringe. It was more than you could handle, the coil of pleasure within you tightening to an extreme . His tongue focused on your clit, switching between fast flicks and slow serpentine caresses as his fingers plunged into you over and over. 

Your breath became his name, every exhale carrying a syllable or the whole of it, each louder than the one before. At last, the white-hot coil within snapped and you sobbed wordlessly, thrashing beneath him as your body fought to escape his onslaught, the pleasure suddenly too much. He let his fingers slide out of you, and you keened at the loss of his touch even though it was more than you could take just then. With a hand on each of your thighs, he pinned your struggling form in place. He bowed his head again and pressed his tongue into you, hungrily lapping at the rush of nectar found there, leaving your body rippling with deep aftershocks. Just before you came again, he stopped, settling himself on his knees and leaning on your thighs for support. 

You were utterly transfixed by the sight of him. Never had there been a more perfect picture of blissful debauchery than this. His hair was in complete disarray, and he was quaking with ragged breaths. You hadn’t been aware of him taking off his glasses, but this was your first time seeing him clearly without them. He looked different, and still handsome. He wore a contented smile, though everything about him said he needed more of what he’d just sampled. So did you. 

***  
Saeyoung took a moment to catch his breath and look at the woman sprawled on the bed before him. She was panting heavily and squirming, caught between shyly trying to evade his stare and inviting him to have his fill of her. He had never felt more like the god he had long joked about being. What can you say? The work he did got to his head sometimes. He imagined this must be what was like to be drunk. He was lightheaded, yet he felt so powerful, and all he wanted was more of her. While he could happily spend a whole day like this, having her helpless before him just with the slightest movements of his tongue, he knew they both wanted something else.

“Mmm, don’t move, okay?” He grinned to himself, doubting that she could get up if she wanted to, as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. His shoes were cast aside to random corners of the room and his socks followed. He mentally apologized to the shirt he’d picked up off the floor to wipe his face with. The moment he started unzipping his pants, he noticed that she was struggling to sit up and watch. He felt a blush overtake his face when he saw her there, eagerly awaiting the reveal. Not that he had anything to uh, be ashamed of, but he wasn’t used to this kind of rapt attention either. 

He stared down at the floor as he finished shuffling out of his pants and boxers, taking deep breaths to calm himself. Here he was, naked before her, almost embarrassingly hard, and trying not to shiver from the sensation of finally being freed from the confines of his pants. Saeyoung slowly shifted his eyes again to the woman before him, and all of his fears were melted away by the heat and intensity of her lustful gaze.

*****  
Unthinking, only reacting now, you reached out a hand to the stunning man standing at the side of your bed. Your body ached from need and seeing him there, finally undressed before you, drew the muscles deep inside taut with hunger. You weren’t sure how you managed to form the words, but a hoarse whisper clawed its way from your dry throat.  
“Sae… please…” 

You stretched your fingers, trying to reach him. As he slid his hand against yours, you closed your grip, pulling him to you. You felt like your blood must be boiling from the half-redeemed promise that was first hinted against the tree in the forest. You squirmed as he rose back to the bed, first one knee beside your thigh, then the other. 

Releasing his hand, you reached up for his shoulder, tracing over the definition of his forearms and biceps on the way. You held his gaze, unwilling to look away, lost in the mirrored desires in his eyes. Pulling yourself up, you pressed your lips firmly against his, and to your delight he responded. 

He pressed you back, aligning his body with yours. The forcefulness of his assault on your mouth left you lying beneath him as you gripped at his back, pulling him with you. His skin was like tinder against the burning inside you, and it fanned the smoldering into an inferno. 

You wrapped a leg around his hip, pleading with your body for him to be inside you, laying the way open for him. The shift in position allowed a brief whisper of contact, and for a moment you thought he would finally enter you. 

Instead, he pulled away, reaching between your bodies, and teased you. The heated head of his erection brushed against your lips, and then parted them, sliding through your wetness. 

You had noticed, once he was naked, that he was well-endowed. The thickness you felt around the swollen entrance to your depths still surprised you. In any less aroused state, you might have hesitated. All you could do right now was moan needfully and try to wriggle yourself closer to the release you sought.

****

Even now, even when all he wanted was to be buried inside of her, he couldn’t resist the urge to draw this out a bit longer. To see how desperate he could make her for him. He promised himself he wouldn’t be too cruel their first time. First time? He suddenly realized that, more than anything, he hoped it was the first of many sweet days and nights like this. He was addicted, obsessed. How had this happened so quickly? God, he really was in...

“Sae...Saeyoung! Please! I need you!” Her impassioned cries bypassed his conscious thought and crashed straight into some primal part of him, driving him forward before he’d realized he could no longer call this teasing. Delicious, searing heat gave way before him, welcoming him. He let out a long held breath as he slowly slid into her, savoring every inch, giving her time to get accustomed to his girth. 

His mind reeled as, in tandem, they sighed in utter satisfaction once he’d filled her completely. He was so lost in feeling her heat trembling around him, drawing him in, that his thoughts crashed out entirely for a moment. Saeyoung.exe has encountered an error and needs to be rebooted. A sweet voice full of lust and promise called out to him. Hips shifted in small circles beneath and around him, and the fire those movements ignited brought him back online.

He held back an urge to apologize for spacing out before giving himself over to the urges he’d been fighting for most of the day. 

***

You were sure you were going to melt into the bed as every nerve in your body focused on this moment and Saeyoung slowly filling you. Even with how badly you’d wanted this, how clearly you’d imagined it, the reality of him was far more delicious than you’d hoped. You loved the feeling of your inner walls stretching to accommodate his cock as a rush of heat made its way through your body. 

“Ah, Saeyoung…fuck, you feel so good!” Your body took over once you got used to the feel of him, your hips moving of their own accord, a silent plea for more. 

You whimpered as Saeyoung withdrew from you almost completely, bringing back your urgent neediness in full. A shiver of anticipation thrilled through your body as you awaited his first thrust. Was he going to tease you again like before? You felt yourself growing even warmer at the thought, and realized you were already addicted to his unpredictable nature. 

He didn’t leave you waiting for long, filling you again with one long, deep stroke, pinning you to the mattress. Your breath left you in a long moan and your muscles clenched around him as you relished in the sensation of being claimed by him. 

He drove into you again, faster this time, harder, causing the bed to creak beneath you. You cried out a “yes!” urging him on, though you knew neither of you would be capable of stopping now if you wanted to. With a few more urgent thrusts, he began to pick up the pace, throwing his head back and groaning as he began to fuck you in earnest. Your fingers scrabbled at his shoulders as you tried to brace yourself and pull him closer to you. He released your thigh, and fell forward upon you, catching himself with his hands on either side of your head. 

The sight of his lust darkened eyes and his flushed face framed by wild red curls and strands as he panted and growled above you sent new jolts of pleasure through you. You still needed more. That was all you could think as you wrapped your legs more tightly around him and pulled him down to your hungry lips, kissing him frantically. You cried out, and he eagerly swallowed your desperate sobs as your bodies met over and over again, filling the room with a frenzied tempo of slick sounds. 

He broke the kiss and leaned back, maneuvering one of your legs over his shoulder as he sought new sensations, new ways to pleasure you. The heat building between your bodies was sweltering, and you watched in fascination as beads of sweat rolled down the contours of his straining muscles. He was beautiful and you were his. The logical part of your brain was starting to balk as you realized the word “love” was drifting through your thoughts in the spaces between your more carnal thoughts. You told it to shut up and mind it’s own business. 

Your logic center went offline with a sudden burst of white static as he found the perfect angle, hitting just the right spot within you. “Fuck! Sae, yes! God…” He shuddered and growled above you, clearly enjoying the praise. You sensed that he was getting close as his thrusts became suddenly frenetic. He reached a hand between your sweat drenched bodies, almost clumsily seeking the juncture between your legs. Once there, he ravished your swollen nub, leaving you screaming beneath him as you came hard, digging your nails into any part of him you could reach.

He followed shortly after, filling you again with a final deep thrust as he groaned, throbbing deep within you. You gasped in time with each hot pulse, wrapping your legs tightly around him again, wanting to savor this moment, accepting everything he had to give you. 

***

As he found his release within her, finally, all to soon, he basked in the pleasure and joy that overtook his body and mind. He knew somewhere under that he was sweaty and sore and a mess but he didn’t care. The smile on her face at that moment overshadowed anything else. 

She let herself fall back to the pillow, and he followed, not ready to withdraw from her yet. He watched her eyes fluttering closed, breath coming out in lovely little mewls. To say his heart skipped a beat was an understatement. It felt like the entire universe held its breath, in awe of this perfect moment. A single word resonated within his bewildered brain. Home. He was subsumed by a sense of belonging he’d never felt in his entire life.

He reached out a hand to touch her face, both to get her attention, and to convince himself that this had really happened. When she smiled up at him, her eyes full of lo… emotion, his chest felt like it was going to cave in from the depths of the feelings welling up inside of him. Saeyoung, for the love of God, get a grip and don’t cry right now. 

Her reply shook him to the core, as she whispered a faint “thank you…”   
***  
Satisfied at last, you felt your intense need slowly yield to something softer, but no less profound. You nuzzled into the warm hand on your cheek and opened your eyes, meeting his gaze. Where you were expecting to see unbridled lust, you saw affection tinged with longing. 

Your heart hammered within you at a ludicrous tempo, and you knew somehow your eyes were reflecting back the same adoration he was giving to you. The only thought that seemed to encompass your joy at being here with him now, as connected as two people could be, was simply “thank you...”

As your breathing slowly returned to a less maddening pace, your brain started to catch up as well, and you found yourself blushing again under his intense gaze. How you could be shy now after you’d given him everything confused you. Then he smiled again, and your heart vaulted over a few beats and you realized why you felt so awkward in front of him. The word you’d tried to chase away earlier was now at the front of your mind, painted in glittery pink calligraphy, surrounded by shimmering stars. 

“I should uh… get up… probably,” he stammered, pushing the image mostly from your mind, though you swore you could still see the sparkly trail it left behind. You wondered if his own hesitance meant he was also in the same self-conscious boat as you. Hope welled up within you, but you were too afraid to speak that word yet and risk finding out that he didn’t feel the same. 

“Oh um, yeah…” you replied, with just as much suave. You noted the sense of loss you felt as he pulled out of you, not caring about the mess soaking into the sheets beneath you. 

Even then, his hands never left you, and the two of you naturally curled up in each other’s arms, feeling like you’d done this a million times before. His touch was feather light as he brushed a stray lock of hair out of your eyes and kissed your forehead sweetly. “I…” He let out a short and awkward laugh before continuing. “I really enjoyed that. That sounds lame. No, that was... incredible.” 

You grinned at him. “Yes, you were incredible, God Seven,” you said with a wink. 

He blushed again and chuckled. “Gasp! My own words turned against me! A critical hit to my heart! You found my weak point!” 

The two of you held each other tightly as you laughed together freely. As the laughter trailed off, and your breathing slowed, you realized that you were more comfortable at that moment than you had ever been with anyone in your life. You were just about to ask him if he wanted to stay the night when you heard a faint snore from the man in your arms. Content that he was as comfortable as you, you drifted off to sleep not long after.

When you awoke several hours later, traces of your dreams remained. You’d dreamt of traveling through space to a magical place, decorated with garlands of stars and ribbons formed of nebulas. In that beautiful, impossible place, you’d danced through the night with the man who was here, in real life, gazing at you in awe as you wiped the sleep from your eyes. At that moment, you were sure that Saeyoung’s route was the only one for you, and your story would continue on for a long time to come.


End file.
